


Another Life

by Anastasia_Purple



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Real World, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, F/M, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-26 05:27:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21368899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anastasia_Purple/pseuds/Anastasia_Purple
Summary: It's been three years since the apocalypse started. They had nowhere to go until they approached a school. Maybe this is where they could start over?
Relationships: Callum & Ezran (The Dragon Prince), Callum & Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	Another Life

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so the Xadia Scribes Prompt on the TDP Amino prompt was school, but I couldn't think of a good one-shot idea that fell along the usual au lines. And then I was like, what if I did it, but zombie apocalypse style? So the general backstory is that when the dragang was at their canon ages, the zombie apocalypse started in the modern world. They ran into each other on the way, and have been traveling together. It's been about 3 years since the apocalypse started.  
I also made this a while ago, I just figured I'd post it here. I haven't read it back over, so there might be some weird things.

Wrought iron gates reading "Katolis College" in Victorian lettering stood stoically in the foggy evening light. Gentle creaking echoed as a trio approached, faces grim.   
A white-haired girl stood at the forefront, signaling the other two to stop. She wore a dark and torn hooded vest, dark leggings, and well-maintained combat boots. Her face betrayed her worried state of mind, the twin scars underneath each of her eyes screwed up as she began to speak in her customary Scottish accent.  
"I don't know if this is a good idea." Her voice was laced with caution.  
"I'm sure it'll be fine Rayla, at least let's stay for a night!" The youngest of the group spoke up next. He was shorter than the other two, but not by much. His dark and freckled skin only served to accentuate the brightness of his free-falling blue eyes, eyes that seemed determined to never dull despite the horrors he's seen. He held a dog, a Shih Tzu named Bait, and the fur was covering his red turtleneck sweater.  
"I don't know Ezran..." Rayla was side-eying the creaking gates.  
"We've only seen a few zombs on the way here Ray, I'm sure we'll be okay for one night. If it really bothers you I'm sure we can use a house nearby though." The final member of the group spoke up, his shaggy brown hair framed his sparkling green eyes as he reassured Rayla. He wore a tattered red scarf, a blue jumper and a dark pair of cargo pants.  
"No Callum, it's just me being paranoid again. I don't like it when the fog's like this." With that, Rayla slipped through the gap in the gates, gun at the ready. Ezran gripped his mallet and Callum his ice ax, and in the followed.  
The abandoned college campus was almost eerily silent as they stalked their way to the first building on the left, a large bricked structure with boarded-up windows. The peeling metal doors opened with only a few loud bangs, which had the trio set on edge for a good 15 minutes afterward. When it became apparent there were no zombs on either side of the door, the quickly entered, not knowing how much longer the light would last. The stale, musty smell deterred them for a brief second, but they powered through. They have smelled much worse.  
Rayla led the group once more with Callum not far behind, while Ezran brought up the rear. They explored a few empty classrooms and soon came across a set of double doors. When opened, they were greeted with the sight of a large room, with old linoleum floors, a great big wall of boarded-up windows, and old cafeteria tables pushed off to the side.   
"A lunchroom!" Ezran's face lit up like a candle, "I haven't been in one of these in forever!" His eyes darted around the back of the room before he turned to his brother and companion. "Let's go check the kitchen, I bet there's some leftover food!"   
After completing a quick but thorough perimeter check, the doors were closed and the kitchen was investigated. Crammed into the back corner was a plethora of canned food, all in one box. Judging from the thick layer of dust, they hadn't been touched in a long while.   
After a quiet but comfortable meal, they set up camp. A few thick blankets here and there, and candles set up around for light, they were ready for bed. Ezran conked out first, belly more satisfied than it had been for a while. Rayla took care of cleaning up the trash, and Callum took the liberty to gaze at the stars at the top of the windows, where whoever it had been wasn't able to reach to board them up. He couldn't see the stars, the fog was still thick, but he could imagine them, and he contemplated what could have been. After a few minutes, he started getting up to leave, to go to bed, but a weight plopped down next to where he sat and he felt obligated to stay.  
"What are you thinking about?" Rayla's voice was a lot lighter than usual. It seems she had gotten over her previous conceived notions about staying the night.  
"You know, before all this happened, I wanted to go here."  
"Here?"  
"Katolis College. It had a really nice art program, and my dad graduated from here. U knew Mom was military, and my dad was a politician, but neither of those even agreed with me. I just wanted to draw. Still do in fact, no matter how much of a pipe dream it is." Callum shifted in his seat, just a tad uncomfortable. "I was really nervous about asking him. My dad I mean. I know he bought me all that drawing stuff whenever I asked, and always supported my hobby, but how would he react knowing I wanted it as a career? I-" Callum's voice choked up, "I was going to tell him. I had a plan. On Saturday night, Dad was at home, and Ezran was going to be at a friend's house. It was just going to be me and him. No other obligations from either side. Everything was planned out, I had a speech written! A speech Rayla! But by Friday evening Dad was... Dad was gone and Ezran and I were running, I took the car and drove as far as I could and we ran. We ran through different communities, communities I could tell were destined for failure, and we ran into you and Runaan. I never found out if Dad would have supported me. I'd like to think he would have, but I'll never be certain." Callum wasn't quite near tears, but he certainly wasn't far from it. The two sat in somewhat awkward silence for a moment before Rayla started to speak as well.  
"Runaan adopted me when I was just a little tyke. My parents had died, and they had been Army buddies with him, and I think he felt a sort of obligation about it. I grew up with him, I learned to take only the essentials, I learned to fight, I learned to talk, I learned what military life was like, the ups and the downs. I think he expected me to enlist at 17 or 18, whichever I preferred. But to be completely honest, I don't think I would have." Rayla took a deep breath at this moment, "I think I wanted to study English or Psychology or something, something average. I just wanted to be average, not the weird military brat. I never got as far as you with planning. All I knew was that I should tell Runaan my plans, not to get his hopes up or anything. But then all this went down, and I was forced to use the skills I had learned to survive." Rayla smiled bitterly to herself, before turning to Callum. "I'd like to think that even if everything hadn't happened, the zombies, the deaths, everything, then we would still have met. We would meet at this college in this room. We'd see each other and have a feeling that we'd get along great, that we'd always have each other's backs. You'd have your art degree, I'd have my average degree, and we'd still be friends." Rayla looked towards the windows, "It is a nice campus."  
"Tomorrow, let's explore the campus. We could find the dorms and set up shop there. We could all have individual rooms, and we could have beds! I think I remember there being a greenhouse on campus, I'm sure we could get a garden going, and we have enough canned food here to past a while. We could make this a home. A new home for us. If another life can have this place as a home, then why can't we?" Callum sounded a lot more hopeful than he had ever been while with Rayla. "There should still be books here. We can get our own degrees here, and we can teach Ezran all about science and math and stuff. We can build a community. We can be happy again;" Callum's eyes were brighter than ever, true hope sparkled within them. Rayla smiled.  
"Let's see what we can do tomorrow. Get some sleep, I'll take first watch you dummy." Callum smiled back.  
"Good night Rayla."  
"Good night Callum."


End file.
